South Carolina H 3054: General Assembly, remote and virtual sessions

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3054 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3054

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A joint Resolution

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 9, ARTICLE III OF THE 
CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL 
ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO ALLOW THAT, IN THE EVENT WAR, SOCIAL UNREST, CONTAGIOUS 
DISEASE, EPIDEMIC, PANDEMIC, NATURAL DISASTER, OR ACT OF GOD RENDERS IT UNSAFE 
TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO MEET AT 
THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, AT THE DETERMINATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND 
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS APPROPRIATE, THE MEMBERS OF THE 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY OTHERWISE MEET IN ANNUAL SESSION USING REMOTE AND VIRTUAL 
TECHNOLOGY.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. It is proposed that Section 9, Article III of the 
Constitution of this State be amended to read:

 Section 9. 
The annual session of the General Assembly shall convene at the State Capitol 
Building in the City of Columbia on the second Tuesday of January of each year. 
After the convening of the General Assembly, nothing in this section shall 
prohibit the Senate or the House of Representatives, or both, from receding for 
a time period not to exceed thirty consecutive calendar days at a time by a 
majority vote of the members of the body of the General Assembly seeking to 
recede for a time period not to exceed thirty consecutive calendar days, or 
from receding for a time period of more than thirty consecutive calendar days 
at a time by a two-thirds vote of the members of the body of the General 
Assembly seeking to recede for more than thirty consecutive calendar days at a 
time. Each body shall sit in session at the State Capitol Building in the City 
of Columbia and may provide for meetings during the legislative session as it 
shall consider appropriate. Furthermore, the Senate or the House of 
Representatives, or both, may meet on the first Tuesday following the 
certification of the election of its members for not more than three days 
following the general election in even-numbered years for the purpose of 
organizing. If the casualties of war or contagious disease renderrenders it unsafe to 
meet at the seat of government, the Governor, by proclamation, may appoint a 
more secure and convenient place of meeting. If the 
casualties of war, social unrest, contagious disease, epidemic, pandemic, 
natural disaster, or act of God renders it unsafe to the health and well-being 
of the members of the General Assembly to meet at the seat of government, at 
the determination of the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, as appropriate, the members of the General Assembly may meet 
in annual session using remote and virtual technology as available. Members 
of the General Assembly shall not receive any compensation for more than forty 
days of any one session.

SECTION 2. The proposed amendment must be 
submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for 
representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with 
the following words printed or written on the ballot:

 "Must Section 9, Article III of the Constitution of 
this State, relating to meetings of the General Assembly, be amended so as to allow 
that, in the event casualties of war, social unrest, contagious disease, 
epidemic, pandemic, natural disaster, or act of God renders it unsafe to the 
health and well being of the members of the General Assembly to meet in person 
at the seat of government, at the determination of the President of the Senate 
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as appropriate, the members of 
the General Assembly may meet in annual session using remote and virtual 
technology as available?

Yes o

No o

Those voting in favor 
of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square 
after the word 'Yes', and those voting against the question shall deposit a 
ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'No'."

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